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January 20, 2005

I'll Take That One To Go! Can You Kill It For Me Please?

January 20, 2005
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This morning I was invited to go to the Traditional Chinese Market with Emily (Wayne’s wife from Indonesia) and Bella (new teacher from Iran). We left at 9:30 and walked up the alleyway behind our apartment building. I was expanding my horizons again! The walkway was adorned with pillars, gardens, arrangements of bonsai plants on top of the walls and palm trees. (Can’t wait to see it in summer!) It was raining too hard to take pictures and with the chill in the air my camera batteries say “low” and it keeps shutting off. I guess they perform better in warm temperatures too..............

Along the way many street vendors touted their wares of vegetables, fish and dumplings cooked in hot oil. Emily stopped at one stall to order a fresh chicken. (See picture below.) The chickens were still alive and running around in a cage. The vendor pulled out the one she picked and we heard it cackle and squeal. I had to walk away. A man was sitting in behind the stall plucking the feathers off one that had been previously killed. We arranged to pick up her chicken on the way out.
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Inside the market there were many vendors selling everything from soup to nuts! Dried herbs and fruits, different dried beans and bins of freshly chopped vegetables sitting in oil. The purpose of my purchases here was to start cooking my own food more often so I am not eating all that oil! I need to watch my cholestorol!

Bella and I were like kids in a candy store. I bought a red onion, carrot and a cucumber for a stir-fry. Along with that I purchased 4 fresh chicken eggs and some vermicelli noodles. At the meat stall I bought a fresh chicken leg with the thigh attached. It should make for a good supper tonight!

The market was ablaze with the colours of fresh vegetables and various meat hung on hooks. Whole ducks with the heads attached were dried and laying out on display. Buckets of chicken feet were also for sale. There are many things you would not find in a Canadian marketplace: pigeon eggs, octopus, live chickens, seaweed (used for many soups) and tofu cooked in all shapes and sizes. (See picture below.)
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I was happy to see the regular vegetables: carrots, cabbage, lettuce, spinach, potatoes, celery, cilantro, corn, eggplant, tomatoes, bok choy and cucumbers to name the most popular.

We passed a bakery on the way back – carbohydrate heaven! I bought a square of something that looked like a rice crispie square with peanuts in it. And it’s very similar – yummy! At a fruit stand I purchased bananas, pears and apples. To my amazement I spied a guy peeling and selling water chestnuts on the side of the road! A lot of vegetable dishes in Chinese food restaurants in Canada have water chestnuts in them and I have always loved the crunchiness of them. I have not seen or eaten any since coming to China exactly two months ago to the day. So I purchased some for my stir-fry.

I was excited and ready to get home and start cooking!

On the walk home Emily invited Bella, Kim and I over for lunch. That was so nice of her! I accepted and looked forward to eating Chinese food cooked by an Indonesian cook. So I had to put off using my culinary skills until supper.
After playing with Wyatt (Wayne & Emily’s 10 month old son) we had a delicious lunch of fried chicken, beef & tomatoes and pork slices along with lettuce & cucumbers and the traditional white rice. Fresh strawberries topped it all off. It was wonderful! By the way, the fried chicken was not the one that had been running around the cage that morning…………I asked!


Hey Bloggers, this will be my only entry this week. Next week we start Winter Intensive courses teaching 9 am-6:30 pm, Monday to Friday for two weeks. Then we have a whole week off for Spring Festival (Chinese New Years). So look for some great pictures that week. Then one more week of Intensive and it's done. As a bonus the school is taking all the teachers on a all-expense paid trip for one week. It isn't confirmed yet but we are pushing for the island of Hainan. Tropical weather and sandy beaches! I am sure to get some great pictures there.

In the meantime, send me your suggestions of things you would like to see. I will be doing a photo essay of bicycles and carts in the near future. Just waiting for a nice sunny day. And keep on bloggin' !! Love to read your comments!

Posted by Janice on January 20, 2005 02:43 PM
Category: I'll Take That One To Go! Can You Kill It For Me Please?
Comments

Hey Jan - aren't the markets great? BTW your octopus is actually a squid :)

Posted by: Liz on January 20, 2005 06:56 PM

Liz: Thanks for clearing that up! I really never did know the difference.

Posted by: Janice on January 20, 2005 10:08 PM

Liz: Thanks for clearing that up! I really never did know the difference. And yes, they are great! BTW, I read all you blog entries today! They made for interesting reading and helped to fill my day off!

Posted by: Janice on January 20, 2005 10:10 PM

The squid/octopus looks like a circumcized penis....well at least the one end did!

Posted by: Lisa on January 20, 2005 10:38 PM

Trust you Lisa! But on second glance..........it does!

Posted by: Janice on January 21, 2005 12:06 AM

LIsa....you took the words right out of my fingers!!! LOL Looks like a great place to buy all those healthy things. Jan, don't work too hard during the next few weeks and let us know where you will be going for vacation so we can look it up! A vacation already! LOL

Posted by: Rose on January 21, 2005 02:41 AM

I wonder if the squid gets "hard" when you cook it?

Sorry I couldn't resist.

Posted by: Lisa on January 21, 2005 02:46 AM

Your pics reminded me of China Town in Toronto. I'm looking forward to the pics of Chinese New Year. Are they allowed to kill "Roosters" this year since it is the year of the "ROOSTER?" or were they all hens???

Posted by: Freda on January 24, 2005 05:26 PM

Freda: I believe they were hens. Do people eat roosters? I don't know.

Posted by: Janice on January 24, 2005 06:41 PM

Glad I am not the only one that thought the octopus/squid looked like a penis!!! Sad that we all think alike!

Posted by: Renate on January 24, 2005 10:28 PM

Renate, we don't think alive....you are just as much of a dirty pig as I am!

Posted by: Lisa on January 25, 2005 02:35 AM

Lisa/Renate: We don't ALL think alike thank goodness. Just a certain "few" if you know what I mean! LOL

Posted by: Janice on January 25, 2005 09:41 AM

Yes, people do eat roosters! I had a rooster for xmas.....it's called a capon in Canada....a castrated rooster! LOL But still a rooster just no equipment left!

Posted by: Rose on January 25, 2005 10:39 AM

So, when can we expect a new entry? I am looking forward to your photo essay on bicycles and carts....you asked for suggestions, so here's mine...

Your mission if you choose to accept:

Take at least 5 pictures this week of people you don't know. You can ask them or take the picture on the sly, but they must be interesting Chinese characters! Asking is easy...point to you than point to camera, than point to them all while nodding your head....it's the international sign language for "Can I take your pictures?".

No go forth and shoot...pictures that is!

Posted by: Lisa on January 28, 2005 06:18 AM

Oh Great Photographer San: I accept!

Posted by: Janice on January 28, 2005 08:26 AM

Hello Janice,
I'm new in the bootsnall travel community (I found it by searching about Hunan and Chang Sha and bumping into this travelblog of yours!). I am living in Chang Sha until our next semester starts at a countryside school about 3 hours from here. It sounds like you're pretty busy, but if you get a chance to send an email or chat, I'd love to!! Chrissy

Posted by: Chrissy on February 2, 2005 01:18 AM

Chrissy: Hello and welcome to my blog! I would love to chat with you. Are you on MSN?

Posted by: Janice on February 2, 2005 10:19 AM
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